YouTube 4K downloader
4K is only there when the creator published it, and plenty of channels still stop at 1080p. Paste a link below and the highest stream the upload carries, up to 2160p, is offered.
How to download a 4K YouTube video
Copy the video link, paste it in the box above and press Download. Every available stream is listed with its resolution.
If a 2160p entry appears, that is the 4K file. Pick it and the MP4 saves through your browser.
How to tell whether a video is really 4K
Open the video on YouTube, click the settings gear and look at the quality list. If 2160p is there, the upload is 4K and we can serve it.
A channel that films in 4K does not always publish in 4K, so check per video rather than per channel.
Storage and playback
4K files are large, often several hundred megabytes for a ten minute video, so leave room before you start.
Older phones and laptops can stutter on 2160p playback. If that happens, 1080p is the practical choice.
How to know a video is really 4K before you start
Open the video on YouTube, click the settings gear and read the quality list. If 2160p appears, the upload is genuine 4K. If the highest entry is 1440p or 1080p, no tool can produce a 4K file from it.
Beware of re-uploads with 4K in the title. The title is written by the uploader, the quality list is written by YouTube's encoder.
What a 4K download costs you in space and time
A minute of 2160p usually lands between 40 and 100 MB depending on motion, so a ten minute video can pass a gigabyte. Check free space before starting on a phone.
The file also takes longer to prepare, because the video and audio tracks are joined before the download begins. A large upload can spend a minute in that step.
Playback and editing at 2160p
YouTube usually serves 4K in VP9 or AV1 rather than H.264. Recent phones, recent Macs and VLC play both, older laptops and older TVs frequently stutter or show a black frame with sound.
If your machine struggles, take the 1440p or 1080p stream instead. On a screen under 32 inches the difference is hard to see, and playback stays smooth.
Higher than 4K
A handful of channels publish in 4320p, which is 8K. When that stream exists it appears in the list like any other, with file sizes several times larger again.
Between 1080p and 4K sits 1440p, often the best trade for a desktop monitor, so it is worth a look before committing to the largest file.
Questions people ask
Why do I only see 1080p for a 4K video?
The higher stream may still be processing, or the version you linked is a re-upload at a lower resolution. Check the quality menu on YouTube itself.
Is 4K downloading free here?
Yes, with no account and no size charge.
Do I need software?
No. Everything happens in the browser, on desktop or mobile.
Do you keep the file?
No. Nothing is written to our storage at any point.
Why does the 4K entry disappear on some videos I have seen in 4K?
Age restricted, members only and private uploads need a signed in session, which is never used here, so their stream list is not reachable at all.
Does the 4K file include HDR?
When the upload is HDR, the served stream keeps that colour data. On a screen without HDR support the picture can look flat, which is the display rather than the file.
Is there a size limit on what I can save?
No. Large files simply take longer to prepare and to transfer.